Today all the poor parents whose children are out over the winter holiday break decided to bring their children to the library. Which was fine, but then the parents abdicated all responsibility for their screaming, running, shouting little monsters while I was writing. The librarians were also curiously absent.

Me too. I would have taken that time to do something, anything, in the nearest bunker-like room. Check for earthquake damage maybe. For, as you know, children are like radiation: tolerable only in low doses.